Dimension of the Other
by BaKanda-kun
Summary: While examining Innocence trapped inside a mirror, Allen and Kanda are sucked into the looking glass and spat out on the other side. But wait...they've switched bodies!
1. Chapter 1

**Theme 4 – Mirror/Reflection (Dec. 24 - 25)**

**Rated: K+ (for now...subject to change later)**

**Pairing: Interchangeable Yullen/AreKan...also subject to change**

**This will probably be the last official Yullen Week submission from me. I started writing them very late in the midst of NaNoWriMo and the whirlwind of life. Then I decided this morning that this particular fic would probably work better as a chapter fic (as opposed to a 30 page one shot), considering how many directions it could take from here on. **

**Anyway, please enjoy~!**

**Dimension of the Other**

**Chapter 1**

"How are we going to get it out?"

Five members of the Black Order huddled around a thick mirror sitting in the middle of Komui's office. Allen and Kanda had returned the previous day from their most recent mission with the giant, cumbersome looking glass, wrapped in packing paper. It emitted the soft green glow of Innocence from the center of the reflective surface.

Allen voiced what everyone was thinking as they scrutinized every inch of the seemingly impenetrable mirror. Not even a scratch marred its surface, and each side of the frame was sealed completely without a crack in the wood.

"How the hell would any of us know?" Kanda snapped irritably. He stood back from the rest of the group, arms crossed in frustration. After all the trouble they'd gone through to transport the Innocence, now they had no way of getting it out so Hevlaska could examine it.

"Calm down, Kanda," Lenalee said absently as she stared into the dirty glass. "Did either of you notice that you can't see your reflection in this mirror?"

Kanda's eyebrows shot up in mild surprise. For all the effort he put into completing his missions successfully, he could say little for his perception of smaller details. Judging from Allen's expression, he hadn't realized it either.

Komui sidled over, examining the mirror. He kept looking from different angles – high, low, tilting from side to side – before clapping his hands together. "My Lenalee, so observant, as always!" he gushed, grinning ear to ear.

Reever, too, stepped over to give his input. "She's right," he said incredulously.

Still, no one had touched it yet except Allen and Kanda when they brought it back. No one knew what unpredictable qualities Innocence possessed, so analyzing them required the utmost caution. Reever seemed most reluctant to approach the object, studying it from a greater distance than the others. Komui refused to let Lenalee do anything more than look, although he seemed quite proud of her earlier perception.

What frustrated Kanda was that they were all looking from the same side when it was a double sided mirror. Sweeping over to the other side, he peered at the Innocence from his new vantage point. Everything seemed exactly the same as the other side. No reflection. Glowing Innocence mocking him from within its safety zone. He felt a sudden, overwhelming urge to punch the mirror and shatter it into as many pieces as possible.

As if suddenly realizing there was another side, Reever stepped over beside him, squinting at its surface like it would reveal some new detail. Finding none, he only sighed as Kanda knelt before the oversized piece of furniture. He pressed his fingertips to the grimy surface with a scowl.

On the other side, Allen reached out a hand, contacting the glass with his palm. When he tried to move it, his hand was stuck. Eyes widening in shock, he pulled harder, only to find he couldn't detach himself from the mirror.

Kanda, too, gritted his teeth, trying to disconnect his fingers from the Innocence. It felt as if they were fused with the object before him, and for a moment he panicked.

"Allen?" Lenalee said quizzically. "What's wrong?"

"M-my hand's stuck!" he gasped, taking a break from trying to dislodge his immobile limb.

Lenalee jumped back in surprise. "Brother," she exclaimed, "Do something!"

"Get it off!" Kanda barked from the other side, still trying his utmost to free his digits. The mirror rocked as Reever tugged his hand without success.

"Why are you all looking at me?" Komui cried, stepping back so quickly some of his coffee sloshed out of its mug. "I don't know what to do! Reever!"

"How am I supposed to do anything?" Reever exclaimed, poking his head around the side of the mirror in a panic.

"Wah!"

The frightened shout came from Allen, who had since stopped trying to detach his hand by force. When everyone whirled around to see what was wrong now, they found his palm almost completely sunk into the gritty surface as if it were water, fingers partially submerged.

"Oi! What the hell is this?"

No one even had to look to understand that the same was happening to Kanda. However, he never stopped trying to wrench himself away from the Innocence-infused furnishing.

"Stop it!" Kanda spat through gritted teeth, as if the object would obey him.

Before long, both their arms were immersed to the shoulder. Allen's terrified face nearly touched the glass, his nose mere millimeters away, as he attempted to think of some strategy to get out of this situation. Kanda, on the other hand, wore a decisively angry glare, frustrated at himself for being unable to dislodge his arm with pure brute strength.

Everyone in the vicinity kept their guards up, ready to act should something happen. That is, Reever and Lenalee stuck close to the two stuck exorcists. Komui had long since backed off for fear of being sucked into the contraption himself. He had tried to drag Lenalee away as well, but after she threatened to get married and not invite him to her wedding, he conceded, sobbing.

All of a sudden, the Innocence within the dirt encrusted mirror began to shimmer brighter and brighter until the entire surface emitted an almost eerie green glow. Both boys had to close their eyes tightly and look away for fear of being blinded. Even Lenalee and Reever squinted against the light.

One final flash erupted from the object, and two simultaneous cries split the air. A mysterious whirlwind swept Komui's disheveled papers into a violent tornado.

For a moment, Allen and Kanda disappeared to those around them before being thrown out on opposite sides from where they started. Lenalee rushed to Allen's aid while Reever tended to Kanda. Komui ambled over to examine them both, still from a slight distance.

It soon became clear that something was terribly wrong.

Kanda sat on the tiled floor of Komui's office, head in his hands, knees drawn up. His face was drawn into a pained grimace, ebony bangs obscuring his sharp eyes. For the Asian man, it seemed such a vulnerable position. Reever was taken aback when a groan escaped the man's throat.

Allen, on the other hand, waved Lenalee off when she tried to help him, shooting a quick glare in her direction. Although his eyes appeared unfocused and he swayed just a bit where he sat, he maintained a certain composure. Sitting up straighter, he merely blinked several times before uttering a noncommittal grunt.

Lenalee only stared at him, kneeling inches away. She reached out to touch him, but he only brushed her hand away again.

"Quit it," the young exorcist said bluntly. "Why don't you go help that stupid Bean Sprout. I'm sure he needs it."

Komui's and Reever's heads swiveled in their direction.

"What do you think you're doing, talking my little sister that way!" Komui blubbered, sinking into defensive older brother mode. "Lenalee, don't bother helping those who can't appreciate your compassion! He isn't worth it, I tell you—"

"Brother, be quiet!" she snapped, brow furrowed. "Didn't you hear him?"

"Of course I did!" Komui said, waving his arms and spilling even more coffee. "He said 'quit it' and slapped your hand away! I'm going to kill him!"

Continuing his tirade, he flapped his arms all around, spilling yet more hot coffee. At one point he tipped it backwards, pouring a waterfall onto Allen, who still sat on the floor.

"You bastard, what do you think you're doing?" he roared, louder than anyone had heard Allen yell before. Even Komui froze.

"See?" Lenalee pointed out. "He's not himself!"

"What are you talking about?" Allen snapped, irritation plain on his features.

"You…you're not…" Lenalee began, searching for the right words. "Why are you referring to yourself in the third person?"

"What?" he growled. "I'm not. I told you to stop helping me and pay attention to that Bean Sprout."

"That's you," she said gently. "Did something happen to your mind, Allen?"

"Who…" he began, then paused.

"Lenalee, I'm fine." It was something Allen would say, but Allen's mouth didn't move. A shuffling came from feet away, and Lenalee turned to find Kanda trying to keep his balance as he stood up. When he was finally steady on his feet, he flashed her a rather charming grin, saying, "See?"

"K-Kanda?" Reever said cautiously, as Lenalee and Komui were both speechless.

Allen, who hadn't been looking in that direction, whirled around, only to freeze in place when his eyes met Kanda's. Kanda, too, went rigid before his jaw dropped, pure shock plastered all over his face. Allen, on the other hand, looked appalled.

"Wh-what is this?" Kanda stammered, cautiously approaching Allen.

Komui stepped forward, adjusting his glasses seriously. "I think I see what's happened here," he stated, more calmly than anyone could have predicted. "Allen."

"Y-yes!" The words were answered with Allen's voice, but coming from Kanda's body.

Komui smirked triumphantly. "Your bodies have been switched."

Kanda's face – from Allen's body – betrayed even greater disgust than had been present before. While Reever's and Lenalee's eyes darted between the two, expressions in perpetual states of surprised confusion, it became evident that Komui's statement was true. Every one of Allen and Kanda's actions seemed inexplicably out of character – the way Allen's features contorted into every variation of a frown or scowl; the way Kanda smiled so widely toward everyone around him, acting as if this problem weren't the most horrifying thing ever to happen to him.

"So what are we supposed to do about it?" Kanda demanded, twisting Allen's expression into one of heated fury.

"I'm not sure," Komui said lamely, only feeding the flames. "This has never happened before."

"We don't have anything for it in the Science Division either," Reever chimed in when the steely glare was turned on him. When it intensified, and after a silent plea from Allen in Kanda's body, he added, "B-but if you give us a few days, we might be able to put something together."

The Japanese man's sharp eyes lit up with Allen's sudden optimism.

"Che. We can't trust you guys in the Science Division," Kanda muttered.

Lenalee intervened just as Reever opened his mouth to retort. "Why don't you try switching back the way you got switched in the first place?" she suggested.

A hostile glare cut off Komui's impending speech about how intelligent his younger sister was. The two boys heeded her advice, taking their previous positions on either side of the mirror. Cautiously, Allen and Kanda raised their hands to the glass. As they kept their fingers pressed against the cool surface, it became apparent that this wasn't going to work. In desperation, they tried every variation of the tactic – switching sides, using different hands, placing them in different spots, everything they could think of without success.

By the end, Kanda lunged at the mirror in a rage, ready to shatter the crud-covered glass. It took both Lenalee and Reever to hold him back, even in Allen's slender body. Allen even stepped around the mirror, eyes shooting daggers at Kanda.

"Don't do stupid things while you're in my body!" he ordered. "I'll be the one paying for it later if you do."

"Shut up!" Kanda snapped. "You're already making me look ridiculous with your overly optimistic nature."

"It wouldn't hurt you to smile now and then, you know," Allen quipped, frowning in a way that made him look more like the real Kanda.

"Stop arguing!" Lenalee shouted, stepping between them. "Reever and the rest in the Science Division will fix this. Right?"

Reever, snapping to attention, affirmed her promise. He wouldn't admit his being at a complete loss for a place to start in this predicament. With a quick sigh, he spoke. "So…will you both tell me exactly how you felt going through the mirror before you crossed into the other's body? Any details you can remember."

"Well," Allen began, staring toward the ceiling and putting a finger to his chin in a very unKanda-like manner, "When it first pulled me in, I couldn't really get my bearings. It felt like I was tumbling around in mid-air. I couldn't find the ground. Then my body hurt like my skin was being ripped away – I guess that's when we got switched – and I landed on my head when I hit the ground. It still kind of hurts," he said, reaching up to touch the tender spot.

Kanda scoffed. "And you tell me to be careful in your body."

"Kanda?" Reever said, not giving Allen the chance to argue. "Did you feel the same?"

"More or less," the bad-tempered exorcist replied.

"What was different?"

"I didn't land on my head," he started off. "I didn't move inside the mirror, except when it pulled me out of my body. Then it felt like all of my bones were breaking before I got thrown out on the other side."

"Is that still bothering you?" Reever queried.

"No," the man stated bluntly.

"Hmm…" Reever puzzled over the new information for a while before speaking once more. "It doesn't make sense. Innocence shouldn't have the power to do something like this. We'll try to change you back to yourselves, but in the meantime, you'll have to figure something out."

With that, he left Komui's office, making his way back to the Science Division.

"That didn't solve anything," Kanda growled.

"It takes a while, Kanda," Allen assured him, though it provoked the man in his body more than anything.

"What am I supposed to do now?" he barked.

"You're not the only one in a bad situation," the other reminded him. "What if we get a mission? I'm not a samurai!"

"If that's your only complaint—"

"You two, cut it out," Komui said firmly. "There's no other option but to act like each other until we've got a remedy for this. If you're to go about your usual business, spend some time with each other and learn how to act."

Both exorcists exchanged glances of mutual distaste.

"Brother," Lenalee piped up, "how are we going to get Hevlaska to examine the Innocence?"

"We'll see if she can do it through the mirror," he said. "She might be able to offer us a few leads. You two can go."

Hesitating momentarily, they eventually left the office, moving strangely in their new bodies.

**Thank you for reading! Please review with your thoughts (I do so love reviews). :3 I'm actually rather worried about how I portrayed everyone's characters aside from Allen's and Kanda's. I usually give them minuscule roles in my fics for just that reason. ^^;**


	2. Chapter 2

**Yes, chapter 2 is finally finished~! I ended up in a bit of a writing slump, so if the characters are OOC, that's why. I tried to fix up at least some of the parts that didn't work for me, but...well, I'm not sure that worked either. I'm really trying to make each chapter approximately equal in length, too, so I hope it doesn't seem too long. ^^;**

**Disclaimer (is this necessary on a fanfiction site?): I don't own -Man, never will, wish I did, but don't. And that goes for all the other DGM stories I've written that I forgot to put the disclaimer on.**

**Enjoy~!**

Chapter 2

"How are you comfortable like this?" Allen griped, flicking strands of licorice hair from his eyes. "You should cut your hair; I can barely see like this, between your bangs and whatever you call these things on the sides here. This ponytail is so heavy! And Mugen keeps hitting my leg so I feel like I'm going to trip every time I take a step—"

"_Shut up_." After several minutes of listening to Allen complain about his body, Kanda couldn't stand another second. Being literally in Allen's skin was no picnic either. His left arm felt weird, almost detached, and looked leathery up close. He didn't even think he could defend himself in such a scrawny body. That wasn't even the worst part – his stomach had been crying out for food since he'd regained his bearings after falling out of the mirror.

"Bean Sprout, do you ever eat?" Kanda murmured irritably as Allen's stomach clenched and growled yet again.

"My name is Allen," the boy said, the words sounding awfully strange coming from Kanda's mouth. "It's part of being a parasitic-type. The Innocence eats up a lot of my energy, so it's necessary to eat a lot. But please don't fill my stomach with just soba and tea," he added, casting Kanda a pleading glance.

"Che," Kanda scoffed, brushing the statement off altogether. Despite how he wished Allen would just go back to his rooms, stay there, and stop bothering him, the young man kept pace as they made their way to the dining hall.

"Please don't ignore me like that," Allen requested with a stern glower, made even more powerful by Kanda's angular features.

"I'll eat what I like," Kanda said flatly.

"You'll need more than soba to keep your energy up," Allen cautioned.

They stopped bickering only when they entered the cafeteria, filled with dining members of the Order. If Kanda had been any less focused on food, he probably would have been more nervous about someone finding out about Allen's and his current condition.

Allen, on the other hand, finding himself far less occupied by his stomach for once, felt his heart sink. It sped up, pounding against his – or Kanda's – rib cage as if it were trying to break out of jail. His skin suddenly broke out in cold sweat, eyes searching for anyone he knew who might recognize him. He would avoid them at all costs, especially if they were other exorcists.

Fortunately, no one approached them, even as many shot them questioning glances. Seeing the two together and so civil was a rare occurrence indeed. Even Jerry, once they got to his window, looked veritably surprised.

"Good afternoon~!" the foreign man said in his sing-song voice. "And what can I get you two cuties?"

"Soba and green tea," Kanda replied shortly.

Jerry was taken aback. Was that really all? This was Allen Walker standing before him, right? The kid did look a little out of sorts, though, brows knitted in a slight frown, silvery irises directed straight ahead. Maybe he was in a foul mood.

"You feelin' all right, honey?" Jerry ventured.

"He's fine," Allen interjected, startling Jerry with the interruption. "He'd also like dry curry, potatoes gratin, beef stew, meat pies, chicken, scones, and rice."

"Oi, I don't—"

"And I'll have a plate of dango."

"Uh, okay," Jerry said slowly, looking dumbstruck, but retreating into the kitchen to cook the mammoth order.

As soon as he was out of sight and out of earshot, Kanda lit into the boy in his body, speaking in harsh whispers. "Don't order for me," he snapped, feeling strange having to look up at the person he lectured, not to mention that person being himself, physically. "And why is it okay for you to eat sweets in _my _body?"

"One bowl of soba and a little tea won't fill you," Allen explained calmly, completely ignoring the latter question. "You're going to need more than that to be of use to anyone."

"It doesn't help _you_ when you're in this body," Kanda rebutted, turning away with a deeper scowl. The expression on Allen looked more like that of a spoiled child who hadn't gotten his way. Allen himself found it almost comical, and would have laughed if something else weren't preying on his mind.

"Kanda," he said in a low voice, making sure no one in the vicinity could hear. "Please try to act like me."

"What?" the elder hissed, more loudly than he'd intended.

"It's the same as doing reckless things in my body," the British boy said. "If you upset people, they'll be angry with me. Unless you want everyone knowing what's happened to us, you should at least try to—"

"Don't think I'm the only one who has to play at this," Kanda interrupted. "You're smiling at everyone and being too friendly! That will cause trouble for me."

"It wouldn't kill you to be nice to people," Allen pointed out.

"Che."

Before Kanda could think of an argument, Jerry called them over for their meals. As Kanda balanced his stack of dishes, Allen led them to an unoccupied table in the corner of the hall. Finders stared after them, wondering what it was that suddenly made the two so close, and why Kanda was carrying a plate of sweets when he hated them.

The two sat across from each other, Allen feeling empty with one lone plate of dango. He watched as Kanda struggled with the portable mountain of food, tea balanced precariously at the top. Allen reached up to unload some of the dishes for him – further surprising those still watching with Kanda's helpfulness – plucking them off the top one at a time. He set them on the table around Kanda as if they were a display.

"You'll get the hang of it," Allen assured him, sitting back down to eat what normally qualified as a snack for him.

"I don't want to get the hang of it!" Kanda shouted, clenching his fists on the table and turning a few heads before he continued in a normal tone. "I need my own body back so I can do my job as an exorcist, not be sitting here eating twice my weight!"

"Quiet!" Allen cautioned, peering around the hall. "It can't be helped. Reever said they're working on a solution, so we have to be patient until then."

"That's easy for you to say," Kanda hissed.

"I'd rather be in my own body, too," Allen whispered, taking extra care that no one could hear. "But we can't do anything about it."

"I know that!" Kanda snapped, tired of being lectured by this kid. "I don't want you making things difficult for me." Reaching for the nearest dish – soba, naturally – he grabbed a pair of chopsticks and ate ravenously.

Allen's brows drew together in frustration. "I'm not. If anyone's making things harder, it's you with your bad attitude and ignoring what people say to you."

"Stupid Bean Sprout."

Allen bristled at the words. "It's Allen." After a moment, he grinned. "Since you're in my body, that name doesn't mean anything to me."

Kanda shot him a threatening glare.

"Stop doing that!" Allen hissed. "I don't glare at people that way."

"Che. You're soft," Kanda said, his tone accusatory.

"You're too stubborn and pigheaded and—"

"My personality doesn't concern you." Despite the flat answer, Kanda's frustration was becoming evident in the way his body tensed as he lifted his chopsticks to his lips.

"Of course it does! I'm in your body and you're in mine!" Allen didn't bother to conceal his own annoyance as he attempted to talk sense into the thick-headed person before him. "If we don't act like each other, it'll be impossible to keep this a secret."

Kanda put down his chopsticks, creating a bridge over his cup of tea. "I refuse to be you," he stated, eyes shooting daggers across the table. "I'm not going to act like an idiot just to make you happy."

"What do you mean by that?" Allen snapped, Kanda-like fury almost tangible as it radiated several feet in every direction.

"Your personality is sickening," Kanda replied, staring straight back into his eyes, completely unaffected by the threatening aura.

"It is not! People avoid you because of your foul moods," Allen retaliated.

"It's none of your business," Kanda said through gritted teeth.

"Listen to people when they talk to you!" Allen exclaimed, more loudly than he'd intended, turning a few heads. "If you keep acting like that—"

"Shut up," Kanda said with finality before returning to his soba.

Despite Allen's unwillingness to obey, he concluded that Kanda would refuse to listen no matter what he said.

Silence stretched between the two exorcists as they ate. Kanda truly felt as if his stomach was a bottomless pit, and he wondered vaguely if it would ever be full. Allen, however, was increasingly surprised when he was satisfied after finishing most of the dango. He watched as Kanda shoveled curry into his mouth, picking up pace as if the thought of eating anything but soba repulsed him. Still, he acted more like Allen with each passing moment. The British boy chuckled at the idea.

Kanda paused, a grain of rice stuck to the corner of his mouth. "What?"

"Nothing," Allen said, waving away the question.

Kanda shrugged it off, resuming his meal. He was finally starting to feel a little full as he picked at the last bowl of rice and sipped his tea.

"Kanda, I think we should spend some time together."

The Japanese man nearly choked on the bite of rice he'd just swallowed. "Wh-why?" he coughed.

"Well, since we're in each other's bodies, we should learn how to act in character," Allen said, resting his elbows on the table. "If we're not ourselves, people will notice and then everyone will find out that the Innocence switched our bodies."

"Bean Sprout, I already—"

"Kanda, think about it. It's already hard enough being in your body without the whole Order knowing about it."

Despite how Kanda tried to find flaw in the boy's logic, it seemed pretty sound. The idea of spending that much time with the kid repelled him, but if the Science Division didn't come up with a solution to this problem soon, people would start suspecting. Not to mention, if Allen continued to emanate such a gentle aura, everyone would think Kanda himself had gone soft. They might start talking to him and thinking him compassionate. He wouldn't stand for that.

"Fine," he grumbled, resigned.

"Good!" Allen smiled, rising from his seat. "I'll meet you…let's see…I think we should be safe on the roof."

Although it seemed rather out of the way, Kanda nodded curtly. Perhaps because it was so far from other members' destinations, it made him feel a little more secure about meeting there. It was quiet, and unlikely that anyone would venture up there at random.

Kanda considered just going back to his room, or even staying in the dining hall for the day. Then he remembered with an exasperated sigh that he was trapped in that bean sprout's body. No one would be afraid to approach him while he was like this. If he made no effort to avoid them, they would find him. There was no way he would fall prey to Lavi's incessant chatter.

After slamming his bowl down to meet the smooth wood surface in front of him, he set about gathering up the empty dishes to return to Jerry. Once that was done, he trudged up the seemingly endless staircase to the Order's roof.

He found Allen sitting almost morosely against the wall beside the door. He looked comfortable in Kanda's body for once, Mugen's sheathe lying on the ground beside him. His gaze was far off as it swept over the sky, shifting the ebony strands framing his chiseled features.

As soon as the door creaked open, his aimless gaze shot to Kanda.

"I was thinking," he said before Kanda had even closed the door behind him. "We should try something else to switch ourselves back before acting like each other."

"Like what?"

Allen paused, a light blush creeping over his cheeks.

A look of genuine perplexity appeared on Kanda's face, making him look more like Allen than ever. Despite his change of perspective, he couldn't read his own face past understanding the blush was probably from embarrassment. This was that bean sprout in his body, not himself, after all.

"Get on with it!" Kanda ordered when Allen didn't continue after a few seconds.

"W-well, you know those stories where things happen when people…kiss? We could—"

"Hell no," Kanda said bluntly, realizing with great displeasure where Allen was going with this.

"I don't want to kiss you either, BaKanda!" Allen said in defense. "But we have to try everything. What if this works? If we never do it, we'll never change back."

Kanda gritted his teeth. Allen could be right. He wanted nothing more than to get back his own body right now. It felt wrong, not having Mugen constantly at his hip. Even the absent weight of his ponytail bothered him.

"Okay," he finally sighed before his face turned sharp. "But if this doesn't work, I'll run you through with your own arm."

Allen paled slightly.

Recovering quickly, he stood, moving closer to the apprehensive man in his body.

Kanda's mind whirled with some way in which to make this situation seem more normal. It would be like kissing himself. His own body was familiar to him, so it didn't really matter. He'd just see it from another's eyes. Kissing himself while in Allen's body.

That's where he cut himself off. Nothing would make this seem ordinary.

Allen seemed to be taking plenty of time moving in. For the sake of getting it over with, Kanda stepped forward, crushing Allen's lips against his own in a ferocious kiss.

Allen nearly pulled away out of instinct before reminding himself of the reason this was happening in the first place.

As the kiss continued, although uncomfortable for both boys, they stayed that way for moments on end. Maybe it would take a while before the switch took place. Maybe they had to deepen the kiss, relax a little more, at least act passionate about it.

Or maybe, just maybe, it wasn't actually going to work.

Just as quickly as he initiated it, Kanda tore himself away from his original body.

"Bean Sprout," he spat, murderous rage emanating from every pore of his body. "Never suggest that again."

"S-sorry," Allen stuttered meekly.

"Che. Just tell me what I have to do to be you."

"You can't just be someone if they tell you how to act," Allen pointed out. Again, Kanda was glad they were the only two on the rooftop right now, the way Allen made him appear so out of character. Even in mild annoyance, the boy was too upbeat for Kanda's muscular body, gesturing too much with his hands and expressions.

"How else am I going to learn?" Kanda growled.

"I'll show you," Allen stated as if it were obvious.

"No thanks."

"I don't want you driving everyone away just because you can't act like me while you're in my body."

Kanda set his eyes on Allen, who looked like a spoiled child. It was rather unbecoming in Kanda's body. When he looked away again, resigned, Allen launched into an explanation of his character.

"The first thing you need to work on is your face."

"Stupid Bean Sprout, what's wrong with—"

"It's Allen," the young exorcist corrected him. "Please stop referring to me like that."

"Che. Get on with it."

Scowling, he obeyed for the sake of time. "You can't have that frown on my face all the time. When people greet you, smile and say hello. Try it."

At first, Kanda stared incredulously into his own eyes. Did the kid really want him to practice in front of him? Working his lips into a shape that seemed more like a pained grimace than a grin of any sort, he forced out, "Hello."

Allen was unimpressed. "We'll work on it," he sighed. "You have to be nice to people."

"This is ridiculous," Kanda grumbled irritably.

"Fine, I'll be you now," Allen said, a bit more cheerfully.

He morphed his face into an exaggerated pout, drawing his eyebrows together in some gesture of aggression. Turning his nose up, he swept past Kanda as if mocking him.

"What the hell is that?" Kanda asked, curling his lip with distaste.

"It's you!" Allen said in all seriousness.

"Idiot, that's not me!"

"It's exactly how you act!" Allen countered defensively.

"I don't look like that," Kanda growled, each syllable coated in ice. "You're the one who keeps saying 'be serious', and you're mocking me. I hate people who can't follow their own orders."

The younger exorcist's scowl deepened the longer Kanda ranted. At his last few words, Allen clenched his fists furiously as he tried to sort out the whirlwind of clashing retorts flying through his mind.

"You have no place saying something like that," he finally said, voice low. "And you hate everyone, no matter what they do!"

"Che. That's irrelevant."

Allen bristled. "You just brush people off without listening to anything they say! And then you blame them when something goes wrong because of your mistakes! You're stubborn and closed off and it gets in the way of your missions!"

"It's your soft _kindness_ that hinders missions." He spat the word 'kindness' as if it were a foul curse. "If you didn't insist on stopping for every person along the way, you might be more useful."

"I won't stand idly by when I can help someone."

"You might as well swallow those words now," Kanda advised. "I won't do something like that."

"Then being up here is a waste of time," Allen declared.

"I already told you that," Kanda grumbled irritably. "It's cold."

"It was the only place I could think of where no one would find us."

"Che." Turning on his heel, Kanda stalked toward the door. His movements were too hurried, too tense to be Allen's.

"Wait, Kanda!"

"What, Bean Sprout?" Annoyance was evident in his tone.

Ignoring the use of the distasteful nickname, Allen said, "Shouldn't we see if we can use each other's Innocence first?"

"It's not necessary," Kanda answered flatly. "Komui would be a fool to send us on a mission in this state."

With that, he slammed the heavy metal slab behind him, leaving Allen alone on the roof.

**Thanks a ton for reading! I'm trying not to make it any more shounen-ai than I did in this chapter. XD Please review, I'd love to hear what you think!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry it's been so many months since the last chapter! I hope you haven't all forgotten about the story in that time. ^^; I didn't have any inspiration for it for a long time, and then I was lazy with editing, and...well, y'know how it is. Thanks for waiting, and for sticking with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hino's beautiful characters. Or her story. **

Chapter 3

"I'm sending you both on a mission," Komui announced, pulling the string attached to a large world map, exposing the entire cloth.

"_What?!_" Allen and Kanda cried in unison. After an entire day spent trying to conform to each other's characters and figuring out how best to keep a secret this colossal, the news of a new mission made their stomachs sink.

"K-komui, please send someone else," Allen pleaded, eyebrows knitted in an anxious expression very uncharacteristic of the samurai's body.

"You idiot!" Kanda hissed incredulously, wondering how the chief of the European branch of the Black Order could be so unfathomably stupid.

"Calm down, you two," the Chinese man said, completely unflustered. "Let me explain."

The stupefied exorcists said nothing more, though they showed no signs of relaxing as Komui launched into his reasoning for their travel.

"We took the Innocence to Hevlaska," he began, pushing his glasses higher on the bridge of his nose. "What we found was completely unlike what we expected. Have you two heard of a dual Innocence?"

Allen and Kanda shook their heads.

"In short, it's an Innocence with another half. Neither can function properly without the other." He paused.

"So what?" Kanda retorted immediately.

"You're really thick, even in my body," Allen countered, unimpressed.

Kanda ignored him, striding up to Komui's desk and slamming both hands against the hardwood. Despite the piles of papers that shifted and threatened to collapse on both men, the action was less intimidating when performed in Allen's slender body.

"What's your point?" he demanded coolly.

"The Science Division can't cure this," Komui continued, accustomed to Kanda's furious outbursts. "Their concoctions can't reverse the effects of the Innocence."

Kanda glared straight into the elder's eyes. "Why do we have to go on the mission?" he questioned. "Someone else can go and bring it back."

"I'm afraid that's not possible," Komui said shortly. "You two were the ones to find the mirror and the Innocence inside it. I would bet its twin is somewhere in the same area. I've sent a team of finders to gather more information. I'd like to have that before sending you off."

"So when will we be leaving?" Allen wondered aloud.

"Tomorrow around midday, unless circumstances require otherwise."

"That soon?" Allen replied.

At the same time, Kanda came back with, "That late?! What are we supposed to do until then?"

"Just go about your daily routines," Komui said, with a lackadaisical wave of his hand. "It can't be helped."

"Of course it can! You just don't want to—"

At that point, Allen strode to Komui's desk, cutting off the rest of the samurai's sentence. "How will we know what it looks like, or where to find it?"

"That's what the finders are looking for right now," Komui explicated. "By the time you get there, they'll probably have some idea where you should start."

"Che. Probably," Kanda repeated disapprovingly.

"It's better than nothing, Kanda."

Kanda merely glowered into his own eyes. The kid certainly wasn't helping him out at all.

After a pause, he finally growled, "Fine."

"It's already getting dark," Komui stated, rising from his seat. "I think it would be best if you showed each other your rooms."

"I'm not having _him_ sleep in my bed," Kanda snapped, jabbing a thumb to his right.

"We can't be picky like this," Allen reminded him with a disapproving glance.

"You can't be too careful either," Komui added, thrusting a couple of information booklets at them, before spinning them around and herding them toward the door. "That's all we've got for the mission so far, so go ahead and get acquainted with your new rooms for the night. Sleep well!"

With that, he closed the door, which hit Kanda in the back of the head. "What the—Komui!" he hollered, only to hear the lock click behind him. He pounded on the dense metal a few times, receiving no answer before Allen spoke.

"I already told you to be careful in my body," Allen warned, having winced at the sheer force of the metal door connecting with the back of what was still his head. And here Kanda acted as if nothing had happened.

"Shut up," Kanda grumbled, clutching the information book, mere seconds from breaking down the door and shoving each page down Komui's throat.

"What do you think you can do about this now?" Allen asked, more than fed up with the older exorcist's actions, as if he'd completely forgotten the body he was using wasn't his own.

When no answer came, Allen continued. "Even though it's not pleasant, this is what we have to work with right now. We just have to make the best of it."

He spoke the last sentence with some degree of tenderness, putting one hand on his own shoulder. It was at that moment he nearly drew back, feeling how scrawny his own body felt beneath the hand of another. With deep resentment, he finally understood why Kanda called him a bean sprout, although he'd never admit it.

"Che," Kanda scoffed, not meeting the other's eye. Instead, he loosened his grip on the book, stalking off down the hall. Allen followed, assuming he was being led to Kanda's room. However, after a few minutes, Kanda's voice drifted back to him from several paces ahead.

"So where is it?"

"What?" Allen replied lamely.

"Your room, stupid. That's where we're going, isn't it?"

Allen frowned at Kanda's lack of communication skills. "If you were expecting me to bring you there, why are you leading me around? We're not even on the right floor."

Kanda mumbled something about "wasting time".

Allen bristled, brushing past him, gripping Mugen just as Kanda often did. Of course he wouldn't risk slicing up his own body, but the power of such a sharp weapon cutting down the man before him still had a satisfying ring to it.

One floor down, the younger exorcist led the elder to a metal door identical to each one surrounding it.

"Can I have my key?" he queried, remembering it would be in Kanda's pocket only after he fished around and tried to jam Kanda's key into his room's door.

Kanda said nothing, admittedly puzzled, and made no move to offer the metal object.

"It's in the pants pocket," Allen instructed.

Kanda scowled, mumbling something that was surely meant to be offensive. "Bean sprout" was the only word Allen caught, brushing it off as a customary insult once the key rested in his palm.

Sticking it in the lock, he pushed the door open to reveal a room almost identical to the rest in design – quite small, stone walls on each side, and one window above the single twin bed against the far wall. A modest dresser stood at its foot.

"Don't touch anything except my uniform when you put it on tomorrow," Allen ordered, gesturing to where it hung over the back of a simple wooden chair.

Kanda surveyed the space with little interest. The bean sprout apparently didn't have many things – not that any exorcist seemed to – so the room looked pretty lifeless. He would have thought it abandoned if not for the jacket on the chair and the ever full suitcase propped beside the door.

Although there was little to take in, Kanda scanned every detail several times. It wasn't because he liked spending any more time than necessary in the kid's room, but because he didn't want anyone in his own room. Despite how impersonal it was – rivaling Allen's, if not winning that contest – it was still his, and there were things in there that he didn't want other people touching. His heart skipped a beat every time he thought of Allen approaching the lotus atop his dresser.

Eventually the young exorcist trapped in the Japanese man's body started getting impatient. "Kanda, are you ready? I'm a little tired."

Shooting him a venomous glare, Kanda swiftly exited the room to lead Allen down the corridor. They were almost 180 degrees around the circular floor before coming to a halt in front of a door that exuded foreboding.

"Th-this is it?" Allen stammered, reflexively shying away from the door.

"Hn," Kanda grunted. "Give me the key."

Allen seemed at a loss. "Why would I have it?"

"You're in my body," Kanda quipped, as if it weren't plain enough. "The key is in _my_ pocket."

Feeling like the epitome of idiocy for not remembering, Allen reached into first one pocket, then the other. He tried three before finally extracting the small metallic object and handing it over to an increasingly irritated Kanda, who snatched it without a word of thanks. It may have been Allen's imagination, but he thought he saw Kanda peering around the floor, as if to make sure no one would see them.

Apparently deeming conditions acceptable, he swung the door open to reveal a room almost completely devoid of light. The bed was shoved in the same corner as in Allen's room, differing only in position so it was perpendicular to the back wall instead of parallel.

Allen took two steps forward, prepared to stalk inside as Kanda himself would, only to have a hand grab a fistful of his uniform, yanking him backward with no small amount of force. Stumbling, he quickly righted himself and glared at his counterpart.

"What was that for?"

"You might be in my body," Kanda began, "but this is still my room."

His implications were clear as he brushed past his own form and into his sleeping quarters. He surveyed the room as Allen stepped in behind him, more cautiously this time. Assuring himself there was nothing vitally important to hide, he turned to Allen.

"Don't touch anything or I'll spill your guts all through the corridor once we get our own bodies back," he threatened, each word dripping with deadly toxins.

"Why would I want to touch any of your things?" Allen asked coldly, as he directly contradicted his question by making himself comfortable on the bed. He saw his own face stiffen with discontent, and couldn't help but think how Kanda really did make him ugly.

Kanda uttered a noncommittal grunt, parted his lips as if he wanted to speak, then closed them, even more disgruntled than before. In frustrated defeat, he spun on his heel, striding back to Allen's room. As his footsteps faded, Allen absorbed the feeling of the room around him. He got an eerie sense of someone watching him, unable to pinpoint the source until his eyes passed over a lotus flower preserved in a glass case atop the dresser. A couple of blush-colored petals sat in the bottom, not so much as shifting with a draft. A shiver travelled down his spine as he sat rooted to the spot. Kanda had never mentioned keeping something like this.

Then again, why would he? This was, after all, his personal space, and Allen had never once seen anyone else enter it. As he readied himself to sleep, he could see why.

There was a constant feeling of unease in the room, like something were literally weighing on his entire torso. He tossed and turned all night as if to try and knock whatever it was off of his body. It always settled around him again afterward. In the end, he got no sleep at all.

Kanda, reluctant as he was to admit it, felt much more at ease in the white-haired exorcist's bed. It had nothing to do with the space being Allen's, or the bed being more comfortable. It was the atmosphere. There was something much less restricting about it. In fact, if Kanda hadn't been brooding all night, he might have slept fairly well.

As it was, both exorcists met that morning, in uniform, sporting circles dark as charcoal under their eyes. Kanda, realizing he had no hair to brush, simply let the snowy locks fall where they pleased. Allen had barely run a brush through Kanda's silky raven cascade before unceremoniously tying it back in a low ponytail.

Allen yawned, betraying exhaustion all over Kanda's normally stoic face. Meanwhile, Kanda kept Allen's innocent features taut and unyielding to something so weak as that display.

"Y' ready?" Allen mumbled, rubbing sleep from Kanda's angled eyes.

Kanda swatted the hand away with Allen's normal arm. "Quit doing that, idiot. I won't have someone like you messing up my face."

"I'm not messing it up, BaKanda," Allen retorted in a foul mood. "It can't get any worse. If anything, I'm improving it."

Kanda bristled at the words, but merely turned on his heel and stalked off for Komui's office. On the way, the two exorcists came across several other members of the Order. Kanda ignored each one as they said good morning, casting aside the idea of being in the younger boy's character. Allen, allowing his grumpiness to take over, performed Kanda well, scowling at all passersby and exuding such a repelling aura that no one dared pass within five feet of him.

"Komui!" Kanda roared the moment he entered the Chinese man's office.

The man barely had time to lift his face off his desk, coffee in hand and paper clinging to his cheek, before Kanda started making demands.

"I'm leaving now for this mission. Where's the information?"

"You're not supposed to leave for another few hours," Komui said pointedly.

"I don't care," Kanda growled, impatience showing in every muscle of his host body. "I'm sick of staying here and trying to act like _him._"

"You're no good at it anyway," Allen quipped, stifling another yawn.

"Now, now, you two," Komui intervened in his sing-song voice that signaled he just wanted them to get out of his office so he could resume pretending to work. "If you really insist on leaving now, I received the information you need early this morning."

He strode to the disaster area that was his desk and picked up a few sheets of paper. Handing them to Kanda, he shooed them away with his free hand. "You'll find one of the boats all ready to take you to the station. I need to get back to work now."

"Che," Kanda scoffed. "Like hell you do."

Allen followed his body out to the boat, still in a bit of a haze. The papers said they were to go back to the site of their last mission exactly, retrace their steps with the finders, and see what they could gather from that. All in all, there was nothing new. Nothing they couldn't have figured out on their own without wasting time not sleeping in each others' rooms.

By the time they reached their destination, Allen had rejuvenated his new host body while Kanda struggled to keep himself awake through the train ride. He could've napped, but instead chalked it up to the weakness of this scrawny kid's body.

Somehow, they met the finders and traced their steps without any problems. The handful of men filled them in on the situation, letting them know, too, that they were already aware of how their bodies had been switched. The exorcists relaxed minutely at the idea of not having to keep up their façade during this mission.

"What have you found?" Kanda questioned almost immediately.

"Not much," a tall, slender finder replied solemnly. "We think we've found a lead, but we're not sure."

"What do you mean?" Allen interjected before Kanda had time to snap at the man for not being clearer in his answer.

"Where did you find the mirror?"

"In an abandoned cabin," Allen said. "In the woods."

The finder nodded contemplatively. "The site we were looking at is near a cabin. Was there a body of water near there?"

"I think so," Allen said. "A river." He turned to Kanda for confirmation, but received none.

"That sounds right," another finder chipped in. "Shall we go have a look?"

Allen nodded, Kanda's bangs falling over his eyes. Kanda kept a brisk pace with the finders as they led the way to the river. Upon hearing the flowing water, Allen realized it was much faster than he remembered. Once he saw it, it looked wider and fiercer, too.

"A-are you sure this is it?" Allen stammered, bestowing an uncharacteristic look of worry on Kanda's features.

The finder returned it apologetically. "As far as we know, this is the only river for miles."

They began the painstaking search for the other half of the Innocence grudgingly. Within the hour, a finder fell in and after he'd been swept downstream, it took almost twice that amount of time to find him and fish him back out. By then, everyone's moods were, at best, disgruntled and uncooperative. It appeared they would get absolutely nowhere that day when something in Kanda's periphery caught his eye.

Stepping to the edge of the water, he peered down to find something that looked like a miniature octagonal mirror wedged into a small pile of river rocks. At first he didn't see the glow, for the water's own greenish hue blended so well. But as he took it in, his eyes widened.

"Oi, Bean Sprout, get over here!" he called, reaching in with one hand in an effort to grab the coveted object.

Allen appeared by his side, soaked to his knees and elbows after helping to pull the finder from the water. "What is it?"

"I found it."

Kanda watched his own face light up in a way that positively disgusted him. The boy dropped to his knees on the grass, putting his face so close to the water's surface that Kanda's ponytail slipped from his shoulders and dunked itself in the river. Allen didn't seem to notice.

"Do you have a plan for getting it out?" he asked, glancing to his own arm Kanda had plunged in almost to the shoulder. At least he could say he had the decency to take off his exorcist jacket first.

Just as Kanda opened his mouth to speak, an explosion blasted him away from the Innocence, sending him and Allen tumbling across the ground. Momentarily disoriented, he looked up to find a horde of akuma hovering in the sky above them.

**Thanks for reading! I would absolutely love reviews if you've got a minute. Whatever you think would be great. :D Chapter 4 is in the works (but don't expect it too soon ^^;)!**


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